Machine for lock-seaming sheet metal



May 30, 1933 w. T. BEACON Er AL 1,912,128

MACHINE FOR LOCK SEAMING SHEET METL Filed June 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 30, 1933. w. T. DEAcoN Er AL MACHINE FOR Loox sEAMING SHEET METAL Filed June 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HEY F: p Flr/N5.

Fatented liv/lay 36, 1933 lldt here

TNILLIAM. 3.1. BEACON, 0F VErl-Clll/IQND EEGHTS, AND HARRY F. PRKINS, OF CLAYTON, FLSS'EII, ASSIGNORS TO METALFOILS, NUORPORATED, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

A CORORATIQN OF T ESSOURI LVIACHINE FOB. LOCK-SEAMING SHEET METAL Application led June 6, 1931. Serial No. 542,565.

This invention relates to a lock-seaming machine of the particular type described in our pending application for patent Serial No. 457,686, tiled May 31, 1930, which is primarily adapted for use in the operation of joining strips or sheets ot metal foil that are used to form a metallic protective sheathing tor a rooie, wall or other surface.

@ne object of our present invention is to improve the means that is employed in such a machine tor drawing together and straightening out, the co-acting upstanding flanges on two adjacent pieces of foil, preparatory to the operation et curling, bending or rolling said flanges into interlocking relation to produce a locked seam.

Another object is to provide a lock-seaming machine et the general type mentioned, that is equipped with means for producing a locked seam which is ot such shape or Jform that it. reduces to a minmum the tendency of water or foreign matter to collect at one side of said seam.

And still another object is to produce a die structure by which pieces of metal foil can be lock-seamed quickly, eectively and without liability of cracking or rupturing the toil.

Figure 1 ot the drawings is a top plan view of our improved lock-seaming machine. Figure 2 is a side elevational viewot said machine.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the plow.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view "of the plow used to draw together and straighten out, the flanges or co-acting portions on two adjacent pieces of toil, preparatory to deforming said portions to produce a locked seam.

plow whose cooperating members are held together by magnetism.

Figure 5 is a. vertical sectional view of the plow, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is vertical transverse sectional view of the plow, taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 5.

Figure 'Z is a bottom plan view of the tail die that imparts a substantially wedge shape Figure 4a is a bottom plan view of the i so shaped and proportionedthat the iianges w to the locked seam produced in the die structure of the machine.

Figure 8 is a front elevational view of said tail die,rtal en on the line 8-8 of Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a rear elevational view lof said tail die, taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 7, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the pressing roller or equivalent means that is used to flatten down the seam'produced by the die structure.

Figure 11 is a verticalV longitudinal sectional view of the die structure; and

Figures 12, 13 and 14 are vertical crosssectional views of the iirst, second and third dies of the die structure, taken on section lines ot corresponding number on Figure 11.

Our improved lock-seaming machine is composed of a trame or body portion A, preterably shaped so that it will serve as a handle that can be grasped by the operator who uses the machine, and a die structure carried by said frame and designed so that when the machine travels forwardly over two strips of metal foil y, provided with upstanding Y flanges w that are disposed in substantially parallel relationship, as shown in Figure 3, said die structure will cause said flanges to be deformed in such a way as to produce a locked seam that is gas-tight and liquid-tight.

VSaid die structure is articulated, jointed or made up of a number of relatively short die elements pivotally connected together, and is herein illustrated as comprising a plurality of dies V1, 2 and 3 and a tail die 4. rlhe dies l, 2 and 3 are mounted on a flexible support 5 and have their adjacent or abutting end portions connected together' by pivotsv or joints 3a that maintain said dies in alignment but still permit them to move angularly relatively to each other suiiici-ently to conform to a concave surface or to a convex structure. The internal spaces or cavities ot said dies are will be progressively curled,due to the ,contact or engagement of said flanges with the walls of a cavity whichchanges 'gradually in shape and dimensions. As shown in Figures 11-f12, 13 and 14 the cavity of the die l0@ structure comprises a circulai portion of progressively increasing dimensions that merges into a straight sided slot of progressively decreasing dimensions, and the sai-d circular portion has a gradually receding angle. Accordingly, the movement of the die structure longitudinally of the coacting flanges on the pieces of foil, causes said flanges to be curled and lock-seamed together without liability of cracking or rupturing the foil. The tail die el, hereinafter described in detail,

is iigidly attached to the rear end of the die 3. At the front end of the frame A of the machine are two balancing rollers B carried by arms 6 that bianch laterally from the frame A. and at the rear end of said frame is a cross bar or pair of laterally-projecting arms 7 that carry guiding rollers C which will be hereinafter described.

As previously stated, our improved inachine is intended to be used for joining strips oi metal foil whose longitudinal edge portions have been turned upwardly so as to produce substantially parallel flanges `on said strips. Accordingly, the machine is preferably provided at its'front end with a means for drawing said flanges together, straightening out said anges and removing wrinkles from same, and presenting said flanges properly to the die structure. In the machine herein illustrated the means just referred to consists of an apparatus, referred vto for conveniencc as a plow, and designated as an entirety by the reference character D. Said i plow is composed of two members 8 and 8EL shaped so as to form in eflect a verticallydisposed, elongated groove or guideway that will receive the co-actino flanges or upstand- "H ing portions a@ on two adjacent strips of foil j y, as shown in Figure 3, when the machine is moved longitudinally of said strips to the left, looking at Figure 2l. The members 8 andV 8a of the plow are mounted on the horizontally-disposed portion 9 of a substantially angle-shaped bracket arranged at the front end of the frame A of the machine, and in order that the plow may be raised and lowered, said bracket is connected to the frame A in such a way that it can be adjusted vertically. In the machine herein illustrated the vertically-disposed portion l0 of the bracket is provided with a slot ll (see Figure 3) that receives `the shank of a clamping screw l2 mounted at the front end of the frame A of the machine.

rlhe rio-operating` members 8 and 8a of the plow are of substantially angle shape in cross section, as shown in Figure 3, and the hori- Zontal'leg of the member 8 is rigidly connected by fastening devices 13 to the horizontally-disposed portion 9 of the supporting bracket. -he other member 8a of the plow is mounted so that it isV capable of rocking slightly about al vertical a-Xis, Abut will vbe normally pressed towards the stationary member under sufficient pressure to cause the rear end portions of the members 8 and 8a to co-act or co-operate with each other to draw the flanges on the strips of foil togetherand also smooth out any irregularities in said flanges. As shown in Figure l, the movable member 8fL of the plow can be joined to the horizontally-disposed poi'tioii 9 of the supporting bracket by means of a pivot ll arranged at the front end of' the member 8, and a spring l5 or other suitable pressureproducing means can be used to move the rear end portion of the member 8 laterally towards the stationary member 8 of the plow. yInstead of using a spring or other resilient means for causing the co-operating members of the plow to exert pressure on the flanges m of the strips of foil in a direction to draw said flanges together and smooth them out, the members 8 and 8a of the plow can be magnetized, as indicated in Figure 4, i-n such a way that the rear end portions of said members will have a` natural tendency to remain inv contact with each other, and accordingly,rwill exert pressure on the upstanding anges of the strips of foil when the machine is moved forwardly over said strips. Usually, the slot oi' guideway formed by the members 8 and 8"L will be approximately one-fourth of an inch in width, at its front end, and the opposed vertically-disposed faces Von said members that constitute the side walls of said guideway will be curved gradually from their front ends towards their rear ends, thereby producing a plow that will adjust itself automatically to the eo-acting flanges on the strips of foil and cause Y said flanges to be progressively smoothed out and straightened when the machine is moved forwardly ovei two strips of foil that are being lock-seamed together.

In joining pieces of metal foil by curling, bending or deforming co-acting flanges or portions on the foil, to produce a locked seam, the lock-seeming operation will be ,greatly facilitated lif a lubricating medium is applied to the portion of the foil which comes in contact with the curling or deforming die of the machine, particularly with a portion of the die structure that is of circula-r or substantially circular shape in cross section. Accordingly, we have provided our improved machine with means for progressively applying a lubricating medium to the upstanding flanges ze on the strips of foil, prior to the entrance of said flanges into the die structure of the machine. While this highly desirable result may be attained in various ways without departing from the spirit of our invention, we prefer to mount au oil cup or other suitable lubricant holder E on the supporting bracket at the front end of the machine which carries the plow, and provide the stationary member 8 of the plow with lubricant'distributing. ducts 16 disposed so that a lubricating medium will be supplied to a plurality of outlet ports 17 in the rear end portion of the verticalV face of said member 8, as shown in Figure 5. In the machine herein shown the ports 17 are so arranged that the lubricating medium will be applied in the form of drops adjacent the top edge of the flange a: which forms the top side or upper portion of the locked seam.

As previously stated, balancing and guiding rollers are arranged at both ends of the frame A of the machine. The rear rollers C are relied upon to prevent or overcome the tendency7 of the machine to side slip or move laterally, particularly when the machine is being used by an inexperienced workman, and said rear rollers C are arranged some distance outwardly from the center longitudinal axis of the machine as shown in Figure 1, so as to hold the rear end of the machine steady by providing bearing members thereon that engage the supporting surface at widely separated points. Preferably, each of the rollers C is journaled in the lower end of a vertically-disposed spindle 18 with which a spring 19 is combined` so as to insure the roller being held yieldingly in engagement with the surface on which the roller travels.

The tail die et of the die structure of the machine is a new feature that greatly improves the operation of the machine. Said tail die is used primarily to prevent the locked seam produced by the die structure, from bending in the wrong direction when said seam is flattened down by the pressing roller or equivalent means F that is arranged at the rear end of the-die structure. As shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9, the tail die 4l is provided on its underside with a cavity 20 that changes .gradually from a circular cross section located at the front end of the die to a substantially horizontally-disposed, `wedgeshaped cross section located near the Vrear end of the die, said cavity 20 being disposed at a slight angle relatively to the longitudinal axis of the die structure, so as to exert a lateral thrust or sidewise thrust on the seam and also tend to tighten the same. The' tail die 1l, in travelingforwardly over the'substantially circular-shaped seam produced by the dies 1, 2 and 3, in front of the tail die, causes said seam to be partially flattened7 converted into substantially wedge shaped cross section. and caused to lie at one side of th-e dividing line between the flanges a: on the strips of` foil. Consequently, when the pressing roller F or equivalent means acts upon the seam produced in the die structure, there is no tendency foi` said seam to bend in the wrong direction, for example, to the left instead of to the right, as is liable to occur when a pressing roller or other equivalent flattening means engages a locked seam of substantially circular shape in cross section.

The pressing roller,shoe or other equivalent means F that is used to flatten down the seam produced in the die structure may have a contacting face of various shapes. We prefer, however, to provide said roller F with a contacting surface 21 of substantially convex shape, or crowned a few thousandths of an inch, as shown in Figure 10, so that the STC flattening operation will not cause the metal 1 foil to be strained or ruptured by producing too sharp a bend in same.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Fatent. is: y

1. A machine for `ioining pieces of metal provided with co-acting upstanding flanges, comprising a die structure constructed so as to progressively curl or bend said flanges into interlocking engagement so as to produce a locked seam, when the machine is moved longitudinally of said flanges, and a device mounted on said machine in advance of said die structure and composed of a stationary member and a (3o-operating movable member, said members being provided with opposed portions that form a slot or guideway whose walls smooth out said flanges and draw them together prior to said flanges being engaged oy said die structure.

2. ifi machine for joining pieces of metal provided with co-acting upstanding flanges, comprising a die structure constructed so as to progressively curl or bend said flanges into interlocking engagement so as to produce a locked seam, when the machine is moved longitudinally of said flanges, and a device in advance of said die structure composed of a stationary member and a movable pressure member, provided with co-acting portions that. eXert pressure on said flanges kin a direction to straighten out irregularities in theA same, prior to said flanges being engaged by said die structure.

3. A machine for loclr-seaming pieces of metal provided with co-acting upstanding flanges, comprising a die structure constructed seas 'to progressively curl or bend said flanges into interlocking engagement so as to produce a locked seam, when the machine is moved longitudinally of said flanges, a device in advance of said die structure, comprising a stationary member and a movable member vhaving opposed portions that are adaptedl to engage said' flanges, smooth out wrinkles in same and press said flanges together prior to said flanges being engaged by said die structure, and means for permitting sulfic relative movement between said members to cause said members to automatically accommodate themselves to the combined thicknessY of the flanges.

4l. A. machine for joining pieces of metal provided with col-acting upstanding flanges,

vel() comprising a die structure constructed so as to progressively curl or bend sa-id flanges into interlocking engagement so as to produce a locked seam, when the machine is moved longitudinally of said flanges, a device in advance of sait die structure com` posed of a stationary member, and a pivotally mounted member provided with opposed portions that are adapted to engage the outside faces of the flanges before said flanges are engaged by the die structure, and means which tends to force the free end of' said pivotally mounted member towards said stationary member.

5. A machine for joining pieces of meta-l provided with co-acting upstanding flanges, comprising a die structure constructed so as to progressively curl or bend said llanges intointerlocking engagement so as to produce a locked seam, when the machine is moved longitudinally of said flanges, a device in advance of said die structure provided With a stationary portion and a movable portion that form an elongated guideivay Whose side Walls engage and exert pressure on said flanges preparatory to the beginning of the deforming operation of said flanges by said die structure, and means for enabling said device to be adjusted vertically.

6. A machine for joining pieces of metal provided with co-aeting upstanding flanges, comprising a die structure constructed so as to progressively curl or bend said flanges into interlocking' engagement so as to produce a locked seam, when the machine is moved longitudinally of said flanges, a horizontally-disposed support on the frame of the machine arranged in advance of the die structure, a device for removing Wrinkles from said flanges and pressing them together prior to the beginning' of the deforming operation, said device being carried by said support and composed of' two members provided With opposed vertically-disposed portions that form an elongated guideWay through Which said flanges travel as the machine moves forwardly, means for permitting one member of said device to have a slight rocking movement relatively to the other member of the device, and means for causing said roclable member to exert pressure on said flanges.

7. A machine for joining sheets of metal provided With co-acting upstanding flanges, comprising a frame adapted to be moved longitudinally of said sheets over said flanges, a die structure on said frame for progressively curling or bending said flanges to produce a. locked seam, said die structure being articulated so as to adapt it to sheets that are flat or curved, a tail die at the rear end of said die structure that imparts a substantially Wedge-shaped cross section to the seam, and means located at the rear of the tail die for pressing down said seam.

8. A machine for joining pieces of metal provided with co-acting upstanding flanges, comprising al frame adapted to be grasped by the hand of' the operator and moved forwardly over said flanges, a flexible die support arranged under said frame, an articulated die structure carried by said flexible support for progressively curling or bending said flanges to produce a locked seam, said structure comprising a tail die shaped so as to impart a substantially Wedge-shaped cross section to the sea-1n, and a means on said frame located at the rear of said tail die for pressing doWnsaid seam.

9. A machine for lock-seaming pieces of metal provided with co-acting upstanding flanges, comprising aframe adapted to be grasped by the hand of the operator and then moved forwardly longitudinally of said flanges, a means located at the end of said frame for smoothing out irregularities in said flanges and drawing said flanges together prior to the beginning of the operation of deforming or bending said flanges, an articulated die structure on said frame comprising a tail die having a substantially Wedge-shaped cavity, for progressively curling or bending said flanges so as to produce a locked seam, a means located at the rear end ofl the machine for pressing down the seam, and means mounted on said frame for progressively applying a lubricating medium are engaged by the die structure.

WILLIAM T. BEACON. HARRY F. PERKINS.

to said flanges before said flanges lUi? lla 

